Page 120 - DSOC401_SOCIOLOGICAL_THOUGHT_ENGLISH

Sociological Thought

notes politician, legal scholar and council advisor. Along with this he was a prosperous man also. Weber’s
mother was a generous and educated lady who believed in protestant religion. Apart from mother
and father, other brothers and sisters and family members also influenced his life. Because of this
influence he had published an essay with the following title, “dedicated to my own significant ego
as well as to parents and siblings”. This easy of Weber had become quiet popular.
2. idealistic philosophy of German: In the thoughts of max Weber, along with sight of scientificness
and precision, there is also an incorporation of originality. His creations were impacted by the then
German intellectual atmosphere. In the then German ideology, this debate was strongly on that there
is an elemental difference in social sciences and natural sciences. In social sciences work-cause relation
is not found. Whereas, physical sciences are based on work-cause relation. That is why, scholars had
put allegation on social sciences that social sciences are not able to study the truth as work- cause
relation is not found in them.
3. Weber had opposed the above mentioned thoughts and tried to tell that in social sciences also work-
cause relation may be found. For achieving this aim only, he presented the ideal type principle and
tried to tell that in social science also through observation, testing and generalisation, arranged rules
may be developed. To present this thought only, Weber made a deep study of Germany’s idealistic
philosophy.
4. Karl marx: Communist thinker, Karl Marx, had influenced Max Weber’s thought’s the maximum. Marx in
his principles, have demonstrated the principle of Economic determinism and has tried to tell that whatever
changes or transitions happen in the society, for them economic conditions are only responsible. When
economic conditions change, society changes itself. He has also tried to prove that apart from economic
condition, other factors are secondary, only economic factors or elements are primary.
5. max Weber opposed the above mentioned ideology of Karl Marx and did not consider him to be the
main component of change. Weber accepted that apart from economy, other many factors are there
that change the social life and society arrangements. He tried to tell in strong words that religion is
the main cause of social changes. He had arrived at this inference after studying six major religions of
the world that religion and only religion is the elementary cause of social change. He had published
the rendering of his these thoughts in his book named Protestant Ethics and spirit of capitalism. In
this book Weber had presented his popular ideology relating to religion.
1. strauss: Strauss has also not any less affected the life of Weber. Weber used to study Strauss’ book
“The old and the new Belief” on a regular basis as a daily routine. Hence it was natural for the Strauss’
thoughts to have an impact on his life.

Task What were the influences on Max Weber’s thoughts. Describe briefly.

Apart from the above mentioned circumstances and people, Max Weber’s thought’s were influenced
by institutional economic school, law etc. apart from this, as has been written earlier, Weber’s poor
health was also not less important in influencing his ideology.

Did You Know? Weber had travelled various places in his life and was continuously
associated with various institutions and people. Hence these also influenced
his life.

114 LoVeLY professionaL uniVersitY